Associated Asset Management

I am a resident of Provence Community to which AAM, is the HOA, [redacted] the manager, refused to answer questions that are either safety or CC&R related, Her immediate boss [redacted] is no better she also refused to communicate with me, as well as many of the community residents.

Review: Last year (2013) in July I have purchased an already leased rental property in an HOA community. After a few months I have received a notice from the HOA that I have to pay penalty if I rent the property in the first 24 months. I didn't know anything about it and I didn't rent the property. After I contacted the HOA's property management company the hassle started. They claimed so many thing that contradict what they said before now I can't believe anything that they are saying. By law I was supposed to receive the CC&R's before the close of escrow, which never arrived. The biggest problem is that the Property Management Company has no clear record showing that they actually sent out the documents.

If I can't resolve this issue in a civil matter I will have to take my issue to court.

After many emails and bypassing the assistant this is the Official answer I have received from the community manager on 05/01/2014: "I have talked to the head of our Disclosure Dept. and they gave me the attachments to pass on to you that show we sent required items to your realtor.; It would have been given to your Realtor and again with the Title Company."

Here are a couple of problems: 1. They do not know the name of my realtor, it was never disclosed to them, since it is never needed nor required. 2. An unbiased third party, the title company, sent me an official email saying that they have never received the CC&R from the Property Management Company.

On 06/18/2014 after contacting the upper management this is the answer I got: "I have reviewed the information relative to the sale of the property and confirmed that we sent all of the resale disclosure information to the mailing address provided by the title company (......) within 10 business days as is required by State Statute."

They conveniently changed their official position on the issue, after I mentioned legal actions.

At this point I have been in contact with the Property Management Company and I have been getting contradictory statements.

All I know that they were supposed to send me those documents before the close of escrow. What they know is that they were supposed to send those to someone but even they are not sure to who. They have no record of the mailing of those documents only that they sent out a Welcome packet on 09/19/2013. Seriously.....it took them 7 weeks after the close of escrow to send out a Welcome packet???? They have a record of that which is not required by law but they don't have the record of sending out the legally required documents?????

Also, they have confirmed with me over the phone in the beginning that this has happened many times before and in all other cases the new owner either sold the property or just paid the fine, which totals $4800. Class action law suit here I come. Now I just have to find the recording of that conversation. If that happened multiple time why didn't they come up with a better solutions? That is their job!!!!

With the last response they only gave me an "official answer", they have never investigated my claim. (I have all the corresponding emails)

Even if the Revdex.com filing doesn't result in a resolution I will be able to show the court that I have made all the efforts to resolve this issue outside of the court system.Desired Settlement: They know what my goal is! I am not asking for more than what I can prove! Legally they can't accept responsibility for their actions since that would leave them vulnerable to legals actions, so the only thing they can do is to fix this problem.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] has contcted our offices numerous times. We have provided him copies of the disclousre statement that was sent to title, the disclosure packet cover sheet that was sent to him in accordance with state statute, and advised him of the day that the welcome packet was sent to him. We even verified the mailing address that it was sent to during a phone conversation since the mailing address is different from the property address.I am attaching all of the these documents in support of our position. AAM received the request from the title company and notification of the pending sale on July 12, 2013. The statement disclosing the fees to be collected at closing was prepared and returned to the title company ([redacted]) on July 18, 2013. (See attached) The disclosure CD and disclosure statement were mailed to Mr. [redacted] on July 19, 2013 to [redacted] which is the address provided by the title company prior to closing. Our records do not indicate that this was ever returned by the postal service as undeliverable. (See attached) I have also attached the work flow chart we utilize internally to track this process.AAM complied with the statutes in a timely fashion. We have no control of the [redacted]. This disclosure packet is not sent out via certified mail so no signature was required. However it was mailed.The Board of Directors of the [redacted] has reviewed this issue on numerous occasions as requested by Mr. [redacted], but their answer remains the same. They cannot grant a variance of the governing documents for the association.The welcome packet is sent as a follow up to the disclosure packet once escrow has closed on the home. Often times it can take four to six weeks for us to receive a recorded deed and the checks from the title company so that we can update the ownership of the home. This triggers the production of the welcome packet.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

As the business stated I have contacted them multiple times. The response they have just provided is not the same as the ones before. Either the response provided by them in our earlier correspondence is not correct or the ones they just provided are false. All of a sudden they have a date on the mailing of the disclosures? They haven't had that information in the past 8 months. How convenient. Here is their FIRST official response:Check your emails!!!!May 1st: "Thank you for your understanding. I have talked to the head of our Disclosure Dept. and they gave me the attachments to pass on to you that show we sent required items to your realtor."May 1st:"That has been explained to you as well. The information was provided prior to purchase. It would have been given to your Realtor and again with the Title Company."Let me know if you NEED me to provide copies of that email!!!!Lets just do one thing at a time.Do you deny that your company sent me that official response to my problem? Your answer is either YES or NO. Then we can move forward from there.Again I am asking a YES or NO question. Any other response is not acceptable.

Regards,

[redacted] P.S.: I don't even need to initiate legal actions on my own, all I have to do is report the problem to the authorities, since by law you were supposed to send me those disclosures. I WILL NOT DROP THIS CASE UNTIL I SEE RESULTS.

Business

Response:

AAM LLC mailed out the disclosure packet as supported by the documents attached to the first response.The Board of Directors for the [redacted] has directed that we do not correspond with the homeowner any further about this issue as they will be addressing it through thier attorney. AAM takes direction from the board of directors so we will be unable to respond further. All of our back up documentation was sent along with the first response to the complaint.

Review: Our HOA, Optima Camelview Village Condominium Association, is currently managed by AAM. I have filed a Complaint in Superior Court naming the Association as Defendant (and actually prior to AAM acquiring our Association's management contract, but probably not material) regarding a mater of the Association violating the AZ Condominium Act, i.e., nothing to do with delinquent HOA fees for which we are always current. And this lawsuit is presently active, with no judgment presently rendered that awards legal expenses to either party. Regardless, AAM is presently billing my HOA account for the legal expenses incurred by the Association in defending my Complaint. In addition, these fees will accrue penalties per the account statement if not removed.

I consider such billing, improper, unethical and an act of intimidation. AAM as a service entity should be neutral in this matter. And if the Association is directing AAM to bill my account for fees not awarded by the Court, AAM should be advising the Association such billing is improper, rather than being a "partner in crime."Desired Settlement: Removal of improper charges.

Business

Response:

We forwarded a revised statement of account to Mr. [redacted] on the evening of Wednesday, July 29, 2015 which included a credit for the legal fees of $2,331.40. The balance due no longer includes these fees. Please advise if further questions or concerns exist. With Mr. [redacted] permission, we will provide a copy of the revised statement to the Revdex.com. Thank you!

I will say that my payment was a little late but the day after I paid it I was hit with a 50 dollar late charge after it was already paid I called them they said they would send a letter so I coukd dispute the charge because I should not have been charged since it was paid and did I mention that the 50 dollars is from a bill collector for one late payment anyway I never recieved the letter to dispute the payment so I called them and they were supposed to email it never got the email and the 50 is still on my bill wow

Review: This management company can not apply checks correctly and continue to charge late and admin fees when I personally hand deliver two separate checks monthly. For the last 6 months this company as sent me to an attorney for collections only to have them send me an apology and correct all the errors. upon completion of this they within 30days starting misapplying my checks again and over charging me and sending out late notices every month. It doesn't matter that I had deliver they do apply on a timely manner and then I have to provide the cancelled checks monthly.Desired Settlement: I am requesting that they refund to my account all late charges, administration fees and any other charges which have been applied to my account and that they reimburse me for my time in having to provide cancelled checks and send emails monthly.

Business

Response:

According to our records, the homeowner was submitting one check for two seperate accounts. She has since corrected that issue once it was brought to her attention that we needed two seperate checks since she owns two seperate lots. The past due balance does nto come from late fees or collection fees as those have all been waived. The October 2014 assessment in the amount of $178.25 for her property at [redacted] has not been paid. This assessment came due when the account was being closed at the attorney.The balance due on the home located at [redacted] consists of the April 2014 assessment in the amount of $173.35 and a portion of the February 2014 assessment in the amount of $37.85. Again, all late fees and collection costs have been removed from the account. Our records demonstrate that there have been no additional issues with the payments posting to the correct accounts since she started tendering two seperate checks. There are no additional fees that can be waived as the balance relates to assessments which the governing documents for the association mandate of each owner.

Review: Beware all that read this... AAM is a rip-off and have no intention of taking care of the those that follow the rules.

I live in the "[redacted]" Sub-division in Apache Junction. My neighbors directly to the East of my home are renters who fail to follow any rules set forth by the HOA. The landlord does nothing or ever responds to calls according to my contact at AAM. They leave their mobile grill and trash cans in the driveway for weeks at a time... weeds all over the yard (isn't the HOA supposed to pay a company to clean up their yard and charge back the owner?)... I send my contact at AAM direct e-mails explaining of the reoccurrence of the issue and she fails to reply back in a timely manner (sometimes over a week or more - POOR CUSTOMER SERVIVCE!). When she FINALLY replies back, it is all merely excuses and plays the "I am doing everything I can" game (prove it then). She claims that they can not reach the landlord - I asked if they sent a letter certified mail (I pay postage as part of my monthly dues) and no response.

I have further asked her to have her manager call me... have the president of the HOA call me... Nope, NO REPLY!

I have lived in many other HOA's in the past and understand they are not perfect, but since AAM recently took over, they are in the process of letting it go to hell.

I am hoping the Revdex.com can assist with AAM to do their job and quit screwing the paying homeowner that does not want their property to be devalued.Desired Settlement: To have the HOA "AAM" follow through with handling my complaint of neighbors - To be contacted by the owner of AAM and explain why they fail to get the paying homeowners resolution.

Business

Response:

AAM is enforcing the violation policy as dictates. Attached is a copy of the [redacted] violation policy. The property Mr. [redacted] is referring to is occupied by a renter at this time, due to the property being occupied we cannot go on site and enforce the self-help option (clean up on behalf of the homeowner). The Board may decide to send occupied homes with these issues to the attorney for legal enforcement. Unfortunately the delay in in communication with Mr. [redacted] was due to the Community Manager being on leave due to an illness. There have been several attempts to reach out to Mr. [redacted], an explanation of the violation process has been given;unfortunately he is not willing to except the policy that needs to be followed.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Regards,

Let’s get the facts straight:

Response time from [redacted] – I first emailed her on 4/13/14 and on 4/14/14 and her first response back was on 4/17/14 (stated she was out of the office after my second attempt)… Didn’t say that when I first e-mailed her. My next e-mail went out on 4/27/14 (received another out of the office reply)… I followed up with another e-mail on 4/29/14 and then she replied back. Again another-mail I sent on 5/1/14 was not responded to until 5/5/14… Then yet I send out another e-mail on 5/9/14 and she didn’t respond till 5/13/14. Lastly I sent out another e-mail on 5/28/14 and she failed to respond till 6/3/14.

I am in customer service and this is all poor response time – I have to send “read receipts” with my e-mails so I know when they are read. If [redacted] had an “illness”, then why was that not ever stated or tell me who was filling in for her???

As for all of the photos I sent, the continued concern, then why did she not see these violations on a weekly drive through? It’s because she didn’t visit the sub-division on a weekly basis. It is very obvious! All of these violations were going on weeks at a time so she would or should have documented these.

In regards to me contacting Tami’s manager… I am a paying customer. Pam can contact me to show good faith effort. [redacted] and Pam are both poor managers for AAM and do not follow up or follow through is a timely manner.

If I cannot get these issues rectified in a timely manner, then I feel AAM needs to explain in a timely manner exactly what is being done in a timely manner.

If the landlord fails to follow the CC&R’s, then is there not any recourse the HOA can take on them? I do pay my dues on time each and every month and included in the dues are postage for certified letters and legal fees… Why am I not getting my monies worth?

Why can Pan or the AAM owner not take the good faith effort to call me? Why do they (Tami) always throw it back at me to do everything when she does nothing? I have asked to have the President of the BOD call me, but again nothing and no reason why not!

The HOA prior was always easy to work with and they always were responsive and I know what action was being handled and when.

I do not feel I am asking for something more than I deserve… However, what I do not deserve is to have the value of my home drop because AAM can’t police the neighborhood on a weekly (regular basis) and handle this without me having to do their work for them!

I expect a better response from AAM next time around. Their last response did not have the facts straight because [redacted] is obviously hiding her side of the story.

Business

Response:

AAM has established contact with Mr. [redacted] today to discuss the issues in the community. The conversation entailed an explanation of the management companies policies on compliance issues as well as the association's limitations on what can be done. He has agreed to contact Pam Hilliard if there are future issues. Pam has also committed to working with [redacted] on her response time.

My experience seems to be the same as most of the others who have/are complaining about this management company: they do NOT answer their phones or return messages when you do get through to be able to ask for a call back. I've been trying to get in touch with someone for the last 4-5 months, off and on, to be able to pay for an upcoming maintenance charge. I've left the message that I want to make this payment and STILL NO ONE RETURNS A CALL!!!! I wish Sweetwater Heights would find a new management company.

Review: Without prior notice of late payment of my homeowner dues, I received a letter threatening to place a lien against my property. I received no phonecall, email, or any other type of reminder from the company alerting me to any delinquency of payment. I am not disputing the homeowner's dues, or the initial late fee, but a second late fee was assessed before any notification or attempt to contact me, was made. Even credit card companies call to remind you of a late payment. This practice seems unethical, and should be amended to allow homeowners to have a personal notification, such as a phone call from a customer service representative, or an email , alerting the homeowner of the delinquency.Desired Settlement: I would like AAM, LLC Property Management company to change their business practice of sending out threatening letters to homeowners without making any attempts at personal contact of the homeowner. I am not asking for them to make any efforts that are out of the ordinary for debt collection. It would have saved me from having to pay a second late fee, and it would have kept them from having to send threatening letters to me. I am also asking them to void the $45 "Demand Fee", which amounts to a second late fee, from which my complaint stems.

Business

Response:

Please see the attached collection policy for the [redacted] Homeowners Association which outlines the process. AAM is not designated as a collection agency and is not trained in the fair debt collection practices which must be observed when contacting people regarding past due amounts. The process involves the initial notice of assessment due, a reminder notice and then the notice of the intent to create a lien. Two attempts were made to collect the past due amount via mail with no payment. With that being said, AAM will waive the $45.00 demand fee as a one time courtesy to resolve the complaint. The policy adopted by the board of directors for the association was followed appropriately in an attempt to resolve the past due assessment.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and while I remain steadfast in my belief that a better collections process can be implemented in order to be more friendly to the residents of [redacted], I find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,

The worst management company ever. They took over my community HOA 3 month ago and has been a nightmare. Their accounting is a joke. When asked about a certain charge, their reply is "we don't know, it was sent over by the old management company and there were no details". They are unprofessional, non-responsive and uncaring. After the second month, there is already a new property manager. They send violation notices for things such as fence painting, which was already documented with the old management account 4 months prior to that (the fence painting only needs to be painted every 5 years, not 5 months!)

They seem to send out random violation notices.

Everytime you call, they're never available or you are left on hold for at least 30 mins.

Review: Since April 2013, AAM, LLC has been charging me monthy fees, and late fees but never sent me a bill, or made any attempt to contact me. Since April 2013, they have charged $250, in late fees, demand fees, and lien fees. In Dec 2013, AAM, LLC finally made an attempt to notify me in email, stating that all the mail has been return to sender. I responded in less than two hours, giving them my correct address. Apparently, this company took over the last company for HOA. I have been living in Utah, since 2011, as the military transfered me here. The previous HOA company had my correct information. I was never notified of the company change or of any bills, until 2013. I have paid the fees, but would like a refund for thier lack or effort in contacting me.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund for $285 for the late fees, demand fees, and lien, from their lack of effort to contact me for 9 months.

Business

Response:

A review was done and it seems the information sent from the previous management company shows your address at the time of the transfer was the property address [redacted]. AAM received return mail from the property address on 05/15/2013 a search was done via the [redacted] site and no new address information was on file. We received return mail on 05/23/2013 again no new address was located. We received return mail a final time on 12/20/2013 at that time an email was sent to you in which you replied with your correct mailing address. Your address currently shows as [redacted]. There were no notes to indicate you attempted to contact AAM prior to 12/24/2013.The fees that you are wishing to be waived are a hard cost to your community. An appeal was received by your board regarding waiving of the fees. Unfortunately your board denied the request. A letter was mailed to you on 01/20/2014.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The previous company that was in charge, sent me mail and bills without error to [redacted] since I moved in 2011. They previous company had my billing address. How is it that in May 2013, when mail was returned through the postal service, it took AAM 8 months to send an email in regards to the returned mail? How is unsubstantiated late fees and lien fees a cost to the community when it was a failure of AAM to contact me through email? It has been AAM's failure to bill me or contact me. A refund of $285, is still requested. Also, I would like a copy of any contract that I signed for your company in agreement of these standards. I was never provided one, when AAM took over.Regards,[redacted]

Business

Response:

In an attempt to resolve this matter AAM will send a check in the amount of $285.00 to the homeowner. We need to verify who the check should be made out to as our records indicate the name is [redacted]. We would also like to verify that the check should be sent to [redacted]. The collection policy for [redacted] is attached. The policy was adopted by the board of directors for the association and does not require signature of each homeowner agreeing to abide by the policy as the Board of Directors is authorized by the governing documents to adopt such polices for the operations of the association. It is truly unfortunate that the previous management company delivered incorrect information to us.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,

Today I received a letter from the transportation office ([redacted] school district )stating that my sons buses will not be coming in our gated community anymore due to one of the buses damaging the entrance gate to our community. I then contacted AAM off of [redacted] in [redacted] Arizona. I also contacted [redacted] who is administrator and stated that I could contact [redacted] who works for AAM [redacted] officer suite [redacted] said that [redacted] has keys to the pedistrian gate in my community. I need the keys now because my sons have to walk out the gate. Bought the house 6 months ago and never received one. I drove to AAM and [redacted] stated he does not have keys and he doesn't know how to get one. Are you serious!!!!!!!!!! He was very rude and was not happy with his responses. All I can say he is not customer friendly and was the rudest person I have ever dealt with.I bet if I don't pay my HOA they will be calling me to resolve it right? Of course they would. Not a happy person right now....

after reviewing the financial records and statements for our community, we found a line item paid out 10,000.00! with no description on who received it!

Pressed and battled these magicians for a month to find out they paid there employee a bonus! On us us I guess?!?!?

We never voted on that!!!

You pay him if you think he did great!

In our eyes and nosed he stinks! And was probably the most misirable little man on earth!!!

[redacted] HOA was recently transferred to a different HOA management company AZCMS. I called AA Management to find out whats going on, since I heard from the grapevine that the HOA payments are getting rejected. I was surprised as I received no communication from AAM.

The first time I called, I was transferred to some called "azeus".. who asked me a few questions and then hung up on me. I called back again and was transferred to the same person. HE was hesitant to give me his name and only gave it to me when I insisted. I told him my concern about potential fraud and give that I have to make a payment in September, I wanted accurate details and more information.

He shared that AAM does not have any information other than AZCMS being the new company. Its surprising that there is no communication from AAM in this regard. Very disappointing given that they were associated with the HOA management for a long time. I guess they just don't care regarding any customer service or normal courtesies as they continue to get business from elsewhere.

Review: AAM has assessed a fine against my property based on false information and frivilous use of parking enforcement. They assessed a violation and fine against my property due to a vehicle being parked in front of my house that did not belong to either myself or my tennant. The owner of the vehicle is unknown. This information was reported to AAM, however the fine was not rescinded nor were their enforcement practices altered.Desired Settlement: AAM needs to immediately rescind the fine and state that a formal appeal is not necessary to correct the inaccurate, frivilous, and harrassing actions of AAM.

Business

Response:

We are unable to locate this homeowner in our system. The name does not appear. If we could get the property address and the name of the association we will be able to assist. Thank you.

Business

Response:

Thank you for your inquiry. After consulting the Board of Directors for the Homeowners Association they have agreed to waive the fine. Please understand that the intent of the fine policy is to gain compliance and not gnerate income. The association does thank you for brining the error to our attention. The enforcment of street parking provisions in the governing documents can prove quite challenging. We will request that the service contracted by the association review the vehicle that is parking in front of your home in an effrot to determine the rightful owner.

I have been attempting to reach someone from my hoa in regards to a hole in my roof as well as receiving a key to the community pool. I have left numerous messages for almost a month now with [redacted] and [redacted]. I have also left a message with the supervisor with no response back ever. This has been the worst customer experience ever. I pay my dues for my property. This is ridiculous.

Review: AAM, LLC manages the Homeowners Association for my neighborhood. We were given a violation notice for allegedly having weeds in our front and/or side yard and this being the "second" offense in 6 months we were fined $25. The violation notice provided a website and photo ID number where I am able to view a picture of the violation. The picture that is posted is a picture of the first violation on Oct 21, 2014. When asked about it [redacted], the community manager said they are not required to provide a picture and their system was not functioning that day therefore they did not post one. However, the violation specifically directed me to a picture of an old violation. We do not have a weed problem on our property. I feel like a false allegation is being made in an effort to raise funds. The appeal process requires "backup documentation supporting your extenuating circumstances." How am I supposed to provide documentation on the weed status of my front yard? I have mailed a check for the violation because if I don't then I'll have a lien on my property. I basically have to recourse given the situation.Desired Settlement: I would like the requirement of photographic evidence of any violation to be added to our neighborhood CC&Rs. I will be addressing this at the next Board of Directors/neighborhood meeting.

Business

Response:

Thank you for your concerns. The fine has been waived from your account. We apoligize that our system was malfunctioning the day the violation was issued. At the present, photos are not required to issue a fine notification. Once your payment of the $25.00 arrives, you will have a credit on your account that can be applied to your next assessment when it comes due.The board thanks you again for making certain that your home and yard is in compliance with the governing documents at all times.

Review: I have been trying to contact the company that Associate Asset Management has been using to collect debt via email and phone. Every time I have tried to contact their collection department, I do not receive a response in a timely manner. I have called requesting what my account balance is on several occasions and have not heard back from the collection company. This is unacceptable as a company to not respond for a request for an account balanceDesired Settlement: I want monthly statement of my account balance

Business

Response:

The collection attorney is contracted by the Associaiton and not by the management company. PBJ is the law firm that has been contracted by the association to handle their collection matters. Mr. [redacted] has been with the attorney for collections since August of 2011. This has been a long collection process. If there is an issue with the entity contracted by the associaiton to handle the collections then the complaint should be filed against that entity and not the management company.

Review: On 24th Sep 2014, one of my PVC fence panels was damaged during landscaping service by an employee of [redacted] is the landscaping company hired by AAM LLC, Florida ([redacted]) to service my community. When this incident occurred on the stated date, I contacted [redacted] (Senior Account Manager) at [redacted] to report the damage and he responded saying he had forwarded the matter to AAM to handle. I had also contacted AAM and asked to speak to the community manager, so that the damage could be reported. However, I was told the manager ([redacted]) had left the organization and that [redacted] was now the acting community manager. Please note that this was never communicated to the residents in my community. I then proceeded to leave a message for [redacted] to contact me. She called me back 24 hours later to make an appointment. However, she was quite impolite on the phone and rather than asking questions about the nature of the damage, she simply said that she would visit my property on 1st Oct 2014.

On 1st Oct 2014, [redacted] came down to my house to inspect the damage to the fence but her attitude was less than impressive. My wife and I explained the matter to her and instead of being supportive and sympathetic to our plight, she started defending the actions of the landscapers and in fact blamed us for allowing the damage to occur. She stated that the reason the fence was damaged was because of the gravel in our yard, which must allegedly have been hit by landscaping machines during service. As this was the third [redacted] damage to my fence this year, I had to disagree with her point of view. The reason being that the first damage to my fence occurred in February this year when there was no gravel in my yard. In addition, when [redacted] was notified of that first damage, they found it convenient to again blame me for allowing the damage to occur and attributed it to some random stone in my yard. However, all my neighbors have stones in their yard as well and those with fence have not had this kind of incident happen.

When the second damage to my fence occurred in Aug this year, I did notify [redacted] at the time and he did come to investigate it immediately. However, when he came round, he blamed the damage on the gravel in my yard, and rather than apologizing for the inconvenience caused, he too conveniently defended the actions of his landscapers. In addition to offering to repair the damage, he also advised that I install some edgings around the sections with gravel, which I quickly completed and notified him via email. This latest damage occurred a month after the second damage. I only have gravel in some sections of my yard to prevent erosion and I really do not understand why they continue to damage my fence. Although, [redacted] would normally tell me to organize the repair so that they can pay for it, however, each time I have done that, they have refused to pay on time. At one point, I had to wait for about a month to receive payment and also had to make numerous phone calls to their office to get the money. Whilst that was happening, the fence repairer was also chasing me for his money, creating the impression that I was evading my responsibility. In essence, when this latest incident occurred, I was not prepared to go through that again, so I felt the need to request that [redacted] organize the repair. Needless to say that they passed the buck.

Back to the issue with [redacted], it seemed that she came to my house on 1st October with a biased opinion of me. She was not fair at all in her assessment of the issue but simply defended [redacted]. I found this confusing because here was a lady who was supposed to be on my side and cater to my concerns, and yet she was nothing but a nuisance to me. She believed her landscapers over me for reasons unclear to me. I have discussed this matter with my Fence installer, who has over 40 years’ experience in the field and he is convinced that these damages occur as a result of recklessness on the part of the landscapers. I have signs posted all over my yard advising them to exercise caution when servicing the yard, but that obviously did not work. [redacted] was also shown the posted signs when she visited.

In the end, [redacted] gave me the following options: (1). remove the gravel, and (2) arrange my own landscaping service, but must continue to pay for the monthly HOA fees, which already includes landscaping services. I found this to very unfair and thoughtless coming from someone who is supposed to be a manager. To cut a long story short, [redacted] walked away that day promising to fix the fence and also to speak to the man who installed our fence, so as to get his opinion on the matter. The crux of the matter is that [redacted] did not believe me and felt the need to confirm my story, albeit, she didn’t bother to question [redacted] for damaging my fence. In essence, I believe that I am dealing with a biased lady here and I do not appreciate her input in the matter, as it has not been productive thus far.

The issue is that I have not heard from [redacted] since that day. I have sent her emails and made phone calls, but she seemed to have disappeared and has not responded to any communication. There is clearly a communication issue with this organization. However, It has now been 3 weeks since the fence damage occurred and I do not know where else to turn other than the Revdex.com. It has been really frustrating dealing with Janelle, partly because of her inexperience in this sort of matter. I find her to be confrontational, disrespectful and unprofessional. I only hope AAM would employ a community manager who is unbiased, with the right attitude and good customer service skills. I pay my HOA fees on time and so I am uncertain why I have been subjected to this kind of maltreatment.

I therefore urge the Revdex.com to help resolve this matter so that my fence could be repaired as soon as possible.Desired Settlement: I would like AAM to contact me to organize repair of my fence as soon as possible. In addition, I do not recommend that [redacted] be formally made the manager of my community as I am not convinced that she would serve us well.

Business

Response:

Subsequent to the first two reports submitted by this homeowner of fence damage resulting from routine landscape maintenance, the community association’s contracted landscape maintenance provider, [redacted], paid for the needed repairs. However, after the third such incident, [redacted] referred the matter to the community association for investigation. The community manager subsequently learned that the homeowner had, without approval, installed a rock border around the perimeter of a pathway leading from the rear of the homeowner’s garage to the backyard lanai. The rock border had been initially installed without border edging, which resulted in some of the rock material migrating into the turf immediately adjacent to the pathway. The homeowner told the community manager that, after the second incident, the [redacted] representative told them to install border edging to prevent further rock migration, which they subsequently accomplished. However, by that time, there was a significant amount of rock that had already infiltrated the turf. Thus, when routine periodic mowing of the turf takes place, these rocks may be ejected from beneath the mower, causing further damage.

All of the associated information pertaining to this matter has been provide to the community association’s Board of Directors for review. A final decision by the Board of Directors is pending at this time. At no time did the community manager agree to pay for the repairs to the fence without Board approval. [redacted] has replaced [redacted] as Community Manager for [redacted]. She can be reached at [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Here is my response to the business."I will respond to your claims in the order in which they were addressed in your response. First of all, I think whoever responded to my complaint has never visited my property and only responded based on unfounded information. This is because they failed to paint a true picture of what actually happened. I have done a lot of improvements to my home in the last year, and on each occasion, I have had to contact either the previous Community Manager or [redacted] (Compliance Manager) at AAM to verify whether an HOA authorization was required. I have emails to prove this assertion, so before you accuse me of completing a project in my yard “without approval”, perhaps you need to recheck my files in your office. In addition, I have always referenced the [redacted] (Approved August 2013) before undertaking any project to again confirm that all requirements were met. In essence, I don’t set out to intentionally break the rules of the community. Furthermore, there is no part of the said guidelines that mandates the need for HOA approval to install gravel in my yard. So, it is either you are referencing the incorrect version of the guidelines or telling a complete lie. I have previously complained to the HOA about the confusing and vague composition of the guidelines, and was told that they weren’t etched in stone and that all current information was tentative, albeit, binding. This was back in November 2013. I noticed that your response failed to comment on the very first damage to my fence back in February 2014, when there was absolutely no gravel in my yard and yet your landscapers damaged my fence. I think that is a very good reference point. So, I wonder what your excuse is for that incident. I seriously think it was time you accepted that your landscapers were indeed reckless in their actions and therefore need to exercise more caution when carrying out their activities. Ironically, it was actually an employee of [redacted] who suggested that I install gravel around the backyard brick-paved walkway to prevent erosion. I had initially planned to install mulch until then. Furthermore, I did explain this to [redacted] during her visit to my house on 1st October 2014, and she did agree that gravel installation was the best option as installing mulch would require yearly replacements. So, is she now saying it was a bad idea to have installed the gravel? The brick-paved walkway/gravel was installed in April 2014, however, the second damage to the fence did not occur until August 20th 2014. I think it’s important to note that [redacted] changes its landscaping crew periodically and I do remember that the crew member who damaged my fence in August was new. I was at home on that day and did speak to him shortly after he damaged the fence. The reason there was no damage in the months between April and August is because [redacted] had a different crew back then. There is no gravel infiltration in my yard. In fact, there was none even before August 20 2014, the day the second damage occurred. The gravel was installed with landscape fabric in a bed around the paved walkway to prevent any loss or spread of gravel. This was an advice given to me by [redacted] when the gravel was purchased in April. I wonder how you came up with the theory of gravel infiltration because there was nothing of that nature in my yard. Was that your subjective opinion of what could possibly have happened? In fact, if I had to guess, I’ll have to say it was purely subjective. Unless you can prove that there was indeed gravel infiltration in my yard, then your assertion is baseless. I think objectivity is paramount in cases of this nature. Furthermore, I would like [redacted] to revisit my property to point out the location of the gravel infiltration she “thought” was responsible for the damage. My contact details are already available to her should she need to book an appointment. However, I can honestly say that she didn’t see any evidence of gravel infiltration in my yard and simply stated what she had been told by the Landscapers as the potential cause of the problem. Yes, I was told to install border edgings, but the reason was not because there was “rock infiltration” in my yard. Rather, it was meant to serve as a precaution. [redacted] of [redacted] did state that his crew had to work quickly in order to cover the community in the allocated time, essentially confirming that it was possible for mistakes to occur in that process. I don’t have any more gravel in my yard than my neighbors, excluding of course, the paved walkway area. So, your claim is a complete and utter fallacy. There is a double standard in play here with AAM. I have had issues with the landscapers for some time now, in fact there was a time when they were not servicing my yard at all, even when my gates were left ajar. In addition, when they do decide to mow my lawn, there was always the issue of them not blowing leaf debris off the paved areas. The matter was reported to AAM’s [redacted] earlier this year and her response was that “any homeowner with fence ran the risk of missing landscaping services.” In other words, AAM is not concerned with whatever happens within my yard since I have now erected a fence. However, now that there is a matter that requires them to pay for repairs, they quickly decided it was time to be concerned about what happens within my yard. Hence, the need for the makeshift rule they have recently concocted that mandates the need for HOA approval to install gravel within my yard. I thought this was supposed to be a homeowner’s association, however, I currently feel like I am in a tenant’s association. In addition, I thought the HOA was supposed to look out for the interest of residents and the community as a whole. Instead, it seems that I am dealing with an HOA that is biased and unsympathetic to my plight, yet I have to pay them monthly to keep that up. It’s absolutely unfair.As previously mentioned, I have completed numerous “HOA-approved” projects in my home this year and the HOA was notified of the completion of those projects. This is required per guidelines so that an inspection could be conducted. It is unclear whether they even bothered to conduct any inspection, because I never received any notice to that effect. That should also explain why the gravel installation has become an issue all of a sudden, because all my other projects were never inspected by the HOA. Unless they jumped over the fence to enter my yard, I don’t know how else they could have conducted an inspection in my absence, because the gate to my yard is locked all the time. If they had come for an inspection back in April, I am sure they would have seen the gravel back then but that was not the case. [redacted] left my house on 1st October 2014 saying she was going away to organize the fence repair. She never told me or my wife that she was going to need board approval. In fact, she requested details of our fence agent, and my understanding was that she was going to call them to get a repair estimate and also confirm what the fence agent had told us about the cause of the damage. In hindsight, it seemed her intentions coming to my house was to see what she could use to concoct a case against me in order to avoid repair fees. Unfortunately, the HOA’s contractor is responsible for this damage and therefore needs to accept responsibility. It’s now been almost a month since the damage and yet no repair has been done. If I had been late paying my monthly HOA fees for that length of time, I am sure the HOA would have assessed a fine by now. Again, another example of a double standard on the part of AAM.Your assertion is completely baseless and I do believe you are doing all involved a disservice by prolonging this matter than absolutely necessary. In addition, I was the one who initially contacted the HOA for assistance, not the landscaping company. I called your office when the matter occurred in order to get some assistance. Subsequently, an email was sent to [redacted] notifying them that the matter had been reported to the HOA. It was then that [redacted] forwarded the email to the HOA. Please get your facts right so that this could be resolved as quickly as possible. My wife and I have made numerous attempts to contact [redacted] on [redacted] but she never answers her phone or return our calls. In addition, she has so far failed to acknowledge or respond to our emails. There is therefore a serious communication issue here that urgently needs addressing. As far as I am concerned, [redacted] promised to repair our fence when we saw her on 1st October 2014 but is now reneging on that promise. At no point did she mention the board of directors’ required referral or confirm that the gravel had been installed without approval. It’s therefore surprising that she’s fabricated that information in such a short period of time. I think AAM needs to handle this matter with tact and diplomacy as it has so far been handled in a slipshod manner. It is also rather convenient for AAM to fabricate non-existent laws just to avoid paying for a repair that is clearly the fault of their contractor. That course of action unfortunately doesn’t say very much for the reputation of the organization. So, I urge you to do the right thing and seize this opportunity to rectify this matter for the benefit of all concerned." Regards,[redacted]

Business

Response:

Unfortunately from time to time there are issues in HOA management that while seemingly minor and easily resolved, become overbearing as the result of a misunderstanding between the parties involved. AAM strongly believes that the best customer is a happy home owner, and we strive to deliver the highest quality management possible. However we do realize that our world is not perfect, and despite our best efforts we cannot please 100% of our homeowners 100% of the time.

In those instances when owners are dissatisfied with the rules and restrictions placed upon them by the covenants of the property they purchased, we are bound by our duties to the Home Owners Association to protect and preserve the quality and value of the Association first and foremost. We are not at liberty to make decisions that deter from the guidelines of the Covenants, but rather it is our job as HOA management to enforce those Covenants. Owners have made the choice, at the time of their home or lot purchase, to be bound by those Covenants as well.

With regard to this complainant, it is our decision that AAM will, at our own cost, make the necessary repairs to ensure that this issue will be fully resolved. We feel that, due to the safety concerns imposed by the homeowner’s installation of improper and unapproved materials in the landscaping, it is in the best interest of the Association to make the necessary repairs caused to the Owner’s property and obligate the Owner to make the necessary changes in the landscaping materials (following the correct procedural process, of course) to ensure that any similar damage will not occur for the fourth time, and so that this matter is put to rest for good. We will be contacting the homeowner shortly to identify our resolution, with the understanding that while this decision may not be the best for any one entity concerned, it is the best for all entities concerned- and that is the essence of a Home Owner Association.

Review: Their billing statements are not matching my bank statements dates or money excepted. Wells Fargo said, they are posting 20 some days late with electronic checks sent caused a late fee. AAM,LLC for [redacted] billing department or property manager does

AAM, LLC, [redacted], The billing department or property managers do not return calls to resolve matters before late charges are added when verifying accounts. I had called back a week later and mentioning I still was waiting to hear back and left my phone number again.

What happened was. I knew with verification from my bank that, I was paid up until September 2013. Yet, I surprised by a late statement bill for $46.00. I called. AAM, LLC mentioning that they did have record of a payment sent for $225.00 dollar although they had the $75.00 payment sent the following month. Wells Fargo said; the payments were cashed. Then, AAM never call back and sent over another bill with “due upon receipt” with $15.00 late fee and a rebilling $10.00 statement fee added for $71.00.

I had to send $80.00 or they would have just kept adding late frees. Still nothing resolved! I just paid a lot more than a normal billing cycle. THIS IS NOT RIGHT! My bank statements should reflect their accounts. There is a HOA monthly and quarterly with AAM, LLC. This is in regards to just the quarterly billing of $74.00. There are four quarters to a year. In the past beloved job as a [redacted] of $32,000 dollar a year salary. I would have just sent AAM, LLC whatever was needed being busy and all. Yet now, I have a little more time to reflect and I have to watch my budget.

Upon payment, the monthly billing with AAM, LLC was being posted in the wrong past account in the past. So, that was something to keep an eye on. This is another issue. Hint 1: what was interesting to me in the beginning with AAM, LLC was the mail was being sent to my past apartment address instead of the new home condo address in 2008. Go figure. Forgive and forget issue resolved. Until, I was the 2008 being brought up in conversation. AAM, LLC never took accountability for their mistake. Truly, research was needed with this HOA before purchase in 2008. I understand humans make mistakes although this is costly!

AAM, LLC has advertised that payment will post is four days. How simple…

Business

Response:

Regarding: [redacted]

Account:[redacted]

In review of our phone log notes the homeowner’s bank called customer service on 03/27/13 the customer service agent stated we needed homeowner’s authorization to release information on the account and the bank representative hung up. The last record of the homeowner calling in was 04/01/2013 and was transferred to the previous representative that was helping her.

The fees dated 04/30/13 amount $10.00 and $15.00 have been waived. That leaves the account with a balance of $46.00. AAM has reached out to the homeowner to assist with tracking down the payment of $225.00. Once AAM has confirmation via copy of cashed check or bank statement we can proceed with getting the money properly applied to account [redacted].

Review: I am behind in my HOA dues. I had called the company (AAM, LCC) a few times to let them know I was having some financial difficulties and if I could work some kind of payment arrangement out. The plan they offered was of no help to me, I just couldn't afford it. I told them the second time that I guess Id have to take care of this myself since nobody was really helping me any. My last statement I received had a due date of 1/1/14 in the amount of $514.44. I was going to pay half of this in January and the rest in February. There is nothing mentioned on this that a lien was going to be placed on our home. But I receive a letter from [redacted] stating a lien had been placed on our home on December 18. Not a phone call to let us know, no letter, no email...nothing. Now the bill has gone from $514.44 up to $1056.44! I honestly don't feel this is fair. I called and requested some assistance and basically received none. I also was told to contact community manager, which I did by email. Again no help. Im not happy with this situation and I hope someone could help me out. I can pay the $514.44 by end of February.. Making me pay the $1056.44 I feel is wrong. I should have gotten some kind of notice before you decided to do this.Desired Settlement: I would like my account taken from the law office and I would be willing to pay off what I owe by the February 2014.

Business

Response:

This account was referred to the collection attorney that has been selected by the board of directors of the [redacted] in accordance with the attached collection policy. Numerous notices were sent advising of the past due balance. The associaiton had not received a payment on the account since August. As you will see in the attached collection policy, the board has authorized the manging agent to enter into a six month payment plan with a delinquent owner. This was offered to the homeowners on two seperate occasions. No payment was made nor was an agreement returned formalizing the agreement. Once an account has been referred to the attorney we are unable to speak with the homeowner regarding the account balance or make payment arrangements.